title: Usefulness of multidetector-row computed tomography in evaluating adult cor triatriatum.
abstract: Cor triatriatum is a rare congenital cardiac disease in which a fibromuscular membrane divides the left atrium into 2 distinct chambers. The most common presenting symptoms in adults are dyspnea, hemoptysis, and orthopnea, which mimic mitral stenosis in presentation. Cor triatriatum is commonly evaluated and diagnosed by echocardiography.Herein, we describe the case of a 39-year-old woman who had experienced worsening dyspnea for 7 months. Cor triatriatum was diagnosed by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. A 3-dimensional reconstruction image produced by multidetector-row computed tomography (40 slices) clearly showed the intra-atrial membrane and the communicating fenestration, in conjunction with coronary and whole-heart evaluation in a single study. On the basis of our findings, we conclude that multidetector-row computed tomography may be a useful tool, as an adjunct to echocardiography, for whole-heart evaluation before operative correction of cor triatriatum.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Taichung Veteran General Hospital, Taichung 407, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chieh-Shou
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: I-Chen
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Wei-Wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Tain
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chih-Tai
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Ting
authors.forename: Kae-Woei
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003310:Cor Triatriatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed